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Pop-Rock

Landon Tewers - Frontal Lobe Submission - EP Review

Landon Tewers - Frontal Lobe Submission - EP Review

Landon Tewers - Frontal Lobe Submission - EP - Independent

Track List:

  1. Gospel Therapy

  2. Kill Me

  3. Fuck Pacing

  4. Gave My All

  5. Just Talkin

  6. When I’m Gone

When I spoke about Landon Tewers last, I reviewed his previous solo release 'Withdrawals.' I started the review by saying, "This is Landon Tewers, not The Plot In You." The same holds true here, so I felt it bears repeating. Landon's solo material usually is very different than anything he's done with The Plot In You previously. But this new release, 'Frontal Lobe Submission' (referred to as FLS as we continue), is also different from 'Withdrawals' and continues the dynamic shifts of Landon's varied music career in a pretty significant way.

FLS begins with the first single, 'Gospel Therapy,' which sounds like it could be a b-side of 'Withdrawals.' It's an interesting dynamic as the song starts as one genre and quickly morphs into a bouncy, funky-groove. You know it would get people moving at a live show. It has that element of surprise during the track's evolution that puts you on your back foot. It asks the question, what can possibly come next?

That "next" is the second single, 'Kill Me.' It's a very catchy song when the chorus crashes in, especially for a song begging for death. It's a full and upbeat song you might not be expecting based on the lyrical content, but one you'll find yourself singing along to quickly. The song features the popular Rory Rodriguez of Dayseeker as a great compliment to this melodic and passionate track.

'Fuck Pacing' changes everything up once again as it seems like it belongs in a movie feeling similar to 'Stand By Me.' Then the beat kicks in, and if your shoulders aren't moving, you must be in a confined space. This track features Gabbie Hanna as a duet, and it's exactly what the track needed. The extra layering compliments everything even before the horns kick in. 

Another sing-a-long track is next in 'Gave My All.' Acoustics drive the pace, and some screaming vocals give the song the extra grit it needs. This will be up there with 'Kill Me' soon enough.

'Just Talkin' probably has my favorite line in this EP: 

"...I will never stay consistent. 

No, I will never

No, I will never think the same."

I feel like that line capitulates Landon, especially when it comes to his music projects and prowess. The beat in this track doesn't even come in until around the second minute. The song continues with an R&B/Hip hop flair that culminates with a very, very strange "child" speaking at the end. It wouldn't be Landon without some weirdness, haha. 

The final track, 'When I'm Gone,' could easily be used in a movie where the main focus is hipster drama. It sounds like the perfect suicide note put to music, but the track isn't depressing; the instrumentation lingers on the positive, almost hopeful tone. It's not the cookie-cutter sad acoustic song at the end of the emo/pop-punk album, and it leaves you wanting more. 

If you take out 'Gospel Therapy,' FLS sounds more focused this time around. It'll depend on your tastes what type of Landon's material you gravitate to most. Still, he always has a way of making everything sound unique. Each release is exciting because not only do you have to stay on your toes, but there's also an abundance of quality that goes with everything Landon does. Start your year off right with 'Frontal Lobe Submission' and listen to Landon Tewers stay consistently inconsistent in the best way possible.

‘Frontal Lobe Submission’ comes out Friday, January 29th.

Pre-order/order ‘Frontal Lobe Submission’ and more, by following the links below:

Landon Tewers - Website (Pre-Order)

Landon Tewers - Twitter

Landon Tewers - Instagram

Landon Tewers - Facebook

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Ian Hates Boston Manor's 'Welcome to the Neighbourhood'

Ian Hates Boston Manor's 'Welcome to the Neighbourhood'

Boston Manor - Welcome To The Neighbourhood

Pure Noise Records

13 tracks (1 Interlude)

Pop-punk has been on an upswing for the last few years with mainstays and newcomers alike, but, whenever the scene goes through a revamped pop-punk cycle, the music can start to sound very similar. It becomes harder to differentiate yourself from the pack and “make your mark”. Luckily for all of us, there’s Blackpool’s Boston Manor.

Now, saying, Boston Manor, fits comfortably into only the pop-punk genre would be doing them a disservice. They’ve always been good at mixing genres like post-hardcore, pop-rock, and maybe even some emo, to form a really great amalgamation in the "pop-punk" scene. For more reference, you can always go back and listen to their breakthrough debut full-length, ‘Be Nothing’ out on Pure Noise Records. Of course, we’re not here to talk about ‘Be Nothing’ necessarily, but it serves as a great precursor to what ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’ is.

And that brings us to ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’, the sophomore full-length release from Boston Manor, through Pure Noise Records. I have to admit, I have been looking forward to this album since I first heard ‘Be Nothing’ and saw the lads (I’ll use the British term, why not?) at a small, cluttered, art gallery playing alongside Rarity, Broadside, and Like Pacific. A great mix of post-hardcore, emo, and pop-punk all under one art-lined roof. It was my first experience of Boston Manor live, but it definitely won't be my last.

The album begins with the title track as the intro, but once you hear the ominous tone that’s set from the start, you realize the song is more of a warning than a welcome. Tone plays a big role in WTTN, often haunting intros lead to catchy choruses, with the appearance of some unclean vocals from time to time to keep the listener on their toes. There’s even the semblance of some breakdowns, although lighter than a metalcore band, they’ll no doubt get the crowds moving (see ‘Flowers In Your Dustbin’) if they weren't already.  

Throughout the album, Boston Manor keep you guessing as they weave in and out of bitterness and radio-friendly addictiveness. You’ll find yourself bouncing around and shaking your shoulders even though you know the lyrics aren’t necessarily for body-moving joy. But, that doesn’t seem to matter as you navigate through the album, because each track leads you deeper into this bouncy ominous world Boston Manor has created.

It might sound strange to some, but I often heard some The Amity Affliction-esque melodies in ‘Be Nothing’, so in WTTN, I’ll continue the strangeness and say that in certain tracks you can hear Marilyn Manson-esque and Bring Me The Horizon-esque melodies (see ‘Funeral Party’ for a prime example). Not exactly what you’d expect in a pop-punk album, but that’s what will keep Boston Manor relevant in a sea of the similar.

WTTN is fast paced at times, bold, catchy (of course), and it keeps your attention with the storyline it creates because, for one, it's different than anything you've heard. If your heart isn't out of your chest by the final track it certainly will be as the semi-acoustic, epic sounding, 'The Day I Ruined Your Life' ends with a chorus of repeating shouts of "The day that I ruin your life" to the final guitar pick.

In music, people often bring up that the second album for a band makes or break them. I don’t necessarily agree with that statement in all cases, but if it is true, then Boston Manor have cemented themselves as a must-hear band with ‘Welcome to the Neighbourhood’. It’s one of the most compelling “pop-punk” albums of 2018 and one that begs to be dissected over and over again, and at this time in music, that's the highest compliment you can achieve.